this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2024
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Science Memes

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Fastest animal (lemmy.ml)
submitted 4 months ago by corvus@lemmy.ml to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
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[–] Squorlple@lemmy.world 134 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The correct answer is an unlucky sentient manhole cover, that incidentally was thinking “Oh no, not again”.

[–] dharmacurious@slrpnk.net 25 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Love the HH reference, but you're the second person to mention a manhole cover. What's the story there?

[–] sicarius@lemmy.world 64 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

If I recall correctly the fastest object ever was a manhole cover after an explosion. If it was sentient then it would be the fastest creature.
BRB, going to look up the incedent.
Edit: Here you go

[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 65 points 4 months ago (1 children)

During the Pascal-B nuclear test of August 1957, a 900-kilogram (2,000 lb) iron lid was welded over the borehole to contain the nuclear blast, despite Brownlee predicting that it would not work. When Pascal-B was detonated, the blast went straight up the test shaft, launching the cap into the atmosphere at a speed of more than 66 km/s (41 mi/s; 240,000 km/h; 150,000 mph). The plate was never found. Scientists believe compression heating caused the cap to vaporize as it sped through the atmosphere.

A one ton iron vent cap (sewer plate) moved so fast it vaporized. Iron into gas, just add velocity in atmo. That's so fucking cool.

[–] MajorMajormajormajor@lemmy.ca 37 points 4 months ago

No, it was clearly not cool, hence the vaporization.

[–] Confused_Emus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Here you go! It’s a fun read.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 33 points 4 months ago (1 children)

the nuclear blast ended up having a yield 50,000 times greater than predicted

That's what's known in the industry as "an oopsie". Almost at the "snafu" threshold over which it would be likely to cause a brouhaha.

[–] Squorlple@lemmy.world 17 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

It was within their safety factor of 50,001